How to Become a Technical Writer in California

If you live in the beautiful state of California and have an interest in becoming a technical writer, then you undoubtedly have a lot of questions about the field in general and, of course, how to get started in it. If you are like most people, you would probably very much like to have these answers just handed to you, but the truth is, you are much more likely to benefit from the answers and to actually reach your career goals if you get out there and find them yourself through real research. Putting in a little effort will help you to determine why you wish to go into technical writing and whether or not the field is truly a good fit for you.

That "why" part we just referenced is incredibly important and, unfortunately, it is also all too often overlooked. So few people really sit down and think about the reasons why they want to go into technical writing. Sadly, the people who don't do this kind of soul searching are most often the ones who really need to. Technical writing is a difficult and demanding job, and as such, you should only go into it because you truly love and understand the nature of the work, not just because the salary is good or because, in some cases, you can set your own hours.

That understanding of the field and the nature of the work is something else that a disturbing amount of people entering into the field are lacking. This is why you should make learning about the technical writing profession in general your first real step of research. Spend some time reading up on what, exactly technical writers do, their responsibilities, their daily tasks, and more. If at all possible, you might also spend some time shadowing or, at the very least, talking with someone already working in the field.

As you do your research, spend some time acquainting yourself with the wide range of different ways in which people in the field can work. Many newcomers to the technical writing world are quite surprised to read about all of the different jobs and types of work this vast and ever changing and growing field has to offer. You can even try to narrow down your choice of the work you would like to do as you research.

In fact, having a clear idea of the type of technical writing job that you would like to have is your first real step toward becoming a successful technical writer. Once you know what it is you wish to do, you can plan your educational and/or training path accordingly. The more you can gear your experience and education specifically toward the area of the field in which you wish to work, the better. Your chances of being hired to do the job you wish to do will go up significantly if you have been preparing for it all along.